Ultimate Warp Zone
The Ultimate Warp Zone is the warp by which Kevin Keene is brought to Videoland in the cartoon and comic continuities of Captain N: The Game Master. Cartoon In "Kevin in Videoland," the Ultimate Warp Zone opens after the mysterious, booming voice speaks to Princess Lana. It is opened when a glowing glove (presumed by fans to be the Power Glove, though it is never called such in the episode) rises from the pedestal on which it sat in the Palace of Power's throne room and hits a nearby wall. Theatrical presentation aside, it has the appearance of a regular warp. The other end of the warp opens in Kevin Keene's TV screen on Earth, implying that Videoland is behind Kevin's TV screen (which Kevin seems to believe in "Nightmare On Mother Brain's Street," though it is not further substantiated). The Ultimate Warp Zone opening drains the Palace's power. Travel through the Ultimate Warp Zone involves falling through a tunnel or chasm of some sort and being converted between live-action and animation form (though this conversion is addressed only once in the entire series). The Ultimate Warp Zone remains open for a while and closes just prior to Kevin's attempt to walk back through it (whether as a deliberate act to keep him in Videoland or simply as a result of the drain on the Palace's power is unknown). It opens again at the end of the episode (in a far less dramatic fashion) to allow Kevin to pass back through it, but he declines. A more elaborate rendition of the opening of the Ultimate Warp Zone is animated in the (noncanonical) Season 1 opening theme song and is used in the Season 2 opening theme song. The Season 3 opening theme song doesn't show the opening of the warp from the Palace of Power. In a strange twist, it shows Princess Lana, Simon Belmont, Mega Man and Kid Icarus briefly entering Earth through Kevin's TV screen, which is completely inconsistent with the canon. In "How's Bayou," Mother Brain's computer mind mirror shows Kevin "just before he was sucked into the Ultimate Warp Zone into Videoland". Serious continuity issues aside, it shows that Mother Brain can see Earth (though it's never explained how). In "The Most Dangerous Game Master," the android duplicate of Mike Vincent claimed Mother Brain "sucked him through his TV screen," deceptively implying Mother Brain has a capability similar to the Ultimate Warp Zone. In "Metroid Sweet Metroid," Kevin says, after the presumed defeat of Mother Brain, "I accomplished what the Ultimate Warp Zone called me here to do. I won the game! Now, it's opening up to let me go back." These statements illustrate Kevin's beliefs on the Ultimate Warp Zone and his purpose and are unsubstantiated. However, it should be noted it indicates Kevin believes the Ultimate Warp Zone is sentient. In "In Search of the King," Lana tells King Charles, "If the Ultimate Warp Zone hadn't brought him," which is a pretty neutral statement regarding sentience. In Season 2's "The Big Game," Lana tells Kevin's friends, "Hey, we asked for the best from your world, and the Ultimate Warp Zone chose Kevin as our Game Master!" This statement not only omits any mention of the Legend of Videoland and implies sentience but also is historically inaccurate. No one asked for a hero. No backstory on the Ultimate Warp Zone was ever established, nor was any further elaboration (such as how the Ultimate Warp Zone relates to the Legend of Videoland or the mysterious voice) given. Notes *The term "Ultimate Warp Zone" is incorrect. It is actually the "Ultimate Warp". Simon says it correctly once in "Kevin in Videoland" (though that might have been for the sake of a joke rather than true knowledge of the proper terminology). See the warp article for more information. *The Nintendo Power article previewing the series is presumably based on early development. One passage states "Together they invoke the Power of the Orb and summon a champion from another world-Kevin". It is unknown what this Power of the Orb concept was meant to be like. *In "The Big Game," Dr. Wily invents a warp zone shifter capable of warping people and objects between Videoland and Earth. Lana says at the end of the episode that Kevin's friends will forget about Videoland ("It's automatic"), and so will Kevin when he goes back. This is the only time that this is ever mentioned and seems to contradict statements in some earlier episodes. Comic The pedestal (but not the glove) is seen as in the cartoon. The narration simply states that the "Ultimate Warp Zone found" Kevin, implying some sort of sentience (though this is never elaborated upon). There is no mention of a Legend of Videoland. Kevin is pulled through his TV screen as in the cartoon. Being a comic book, no live-action-to-animation conversion is implied or mentioned. Category:Content